HOUSE OVERWHELMINGLY ADOPTS STRONG NEW SANCTIONS AGAINST IRANIAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM

Sends A Strong Message to Iranian Regime

WASHINGTON — AIPAC commends the House of Representatives for today approving - with overwhelming bi-partisan support - new, tough legislation designed to thwart Iran’s nuclear weapons program. The House today sent a strong message to the Iranian regime– America will not reduce pressure on the Islamic Republic until it changes course on its nuclear program.

The Nuclear Iran Prevention Act (H.R. 850) significantly expands U.S. sanctions on Iran by granting the president specific authorization to bar companies from doing business in the United States if they carry out significant trade with Tehran. The legislation expands sanctions to strategic sectors of the Iranian economy not targeted by previous legislation. And the legislation is designed further to dramatically reduce Iran’s exports of crude oil and petroleum condensates.

The bill -- authored by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) and Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-NY) -- also stiffens penalties for violations of existing law and expands sanctions targeting Iran's human rights violations. The measure aims to maximize the effectiveness of American economic and diplomatic efforts.

Now that the House has taken forceful action, AIPAC urges the Senate to move quickly on its own version of sanctions legislation. The window is rapidly closing to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability.

Consistently ranked as the most influential foreign policy lobbying organization on Capitol Hill, AIPAC is a bipartisan American membership organization that seeks to strengthen the relationship between the United States and Israel. For more than 50 years, AIPAC has been working with Congress to build a strong, vibrant relationship between the U.S. and Israel. With more than 100,000 members across the United States, AIPAC works throughout the country to improve and strengthen that relationship by supporting U.S.-Israel military, economic, scientific and cultural cooperation.